The CCA Lady Patriots have won their 19 games in a variety of ways this season. The long ball, however, isn’t really one of the tools they’ve used. All that changed Thursday afternoon and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
The Lady Patriots hit three home runs in their 12-8 win over the David Emanuel Academy Eagles in game two of the state tournament in Columbus. Gracie Giddens hit two of the three home runs, a grand slam in the first inning and a solo shot in the third.
But the biggest hit of the day came off the bat of eighth grader Mattie Lewis – after the Eagles intentionally walked Giddens to get to Lewis. Trailing 8-7 with two on and two out in the bottom of the fourth, Giddens came to the plate. At the time, she was 2-2 with two home runs and five RBI. The Eagles rolled the dice and put her on to pitch to Lewis. Coming in the game, Lewis had one homer on the season so everyone knew she had some home run power. Still, trailing in the state tournament with two outs against a rival isn’t really a time you’d expect an eighth grader to step up like she did.
Lewis fell behind 0-2 but battled back to even the count at 2-2. Then she hit the shot heard ‘round the Patriot world. Lewis connected and drove the ball to center. It cleared the fence for a go-ahead home run that proved to be the difference in the game. Brilynn Waldron, who doubled earlier in the inning, and Giddens scored on Lewis’s homer.
From there, the Lady Patriots never looked back. They scored two more runs – both with two outs – in the sixth to increase their advantage to 12-8. Madi Rucker singled to center to score Emy Lowery. Cadence Cravey followed with another single to center to score Rucker. CCA held DEA in the top of the seventh to win their second game of the tournament.
Giddens started for the Lady Patriots and went two innings. She gave up seven runs on two hits (five earned). She struck out four and walked five. Lowery came in and stopped the Eagles over the next five innings, giving up one unearned run on five hits, striking out three and walking none.
“I am proud of the girls. Sometimes they don’t like to do things the easy way but I know no matter the situation, they will always fight. Gracie came up big with her two home runs. Then Mattie hit the big go-ahead home run. And Emy came in and slammed the door. I’m just excited for them to have the opportunity they have in front of them,” said head coach Jeremy Coram after the game.
The Lady Patriots now have a showdown with the Robert Toombs Christian Academy Crusaders on Friday at noon. Robert Toombs defeated Thomas Jefferson Academy 6-3 on Thursday afternoon. CCA and Robert Toombs are region foes and split the season series this year. The Lady Patriots won their first meeting on a walk-off double in the eighth inning to win 8-7 on September 17. The two teams faced each other in the regular season finale last week at Robert Toombs. The Crusaders won that meeting 11-3 in six innings.